A dead passsion
by Eternal Renegade
Summary: A young university student far from home and her family, learns how to survive when the dead start walking. Only having the company of her close friend and the voice in her head to keep her alive. An OC story. Pairings later.


Disclaimer: Walking dead belongs to Frank Darabont (I think) ©

Warning: For mature readers.

A/N: I decided to do something different, a lot of story's start off with their character after the outbreak starts but I wanted to start from the very beginning. I should also add that I'll be writing this story, not just for fun (mostly it is fun) but to improve my English and realism. Reviews will always be appreciated!

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_**Chapter one: **__Every story has a beginning**  
**_

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_When one door closes, another opens..._

_ but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door..._

_ that we do not see the one which has opened for us..._

_- Alexander Graham Bell_

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When shit hit the fan, I was at my university's athletic carnival. Everyone was dressed in various colours; red, blue, green, yellow. The crowed screamed and hollered for their team to win with much enthusiasm. The morning air was a little chilly, but the sun rose quickly and soon I could feel sweat gathering under my arms and in the crook of my neck. I leaned back in my chair, watching with half-lidded eyes as girls ran around the field; panting heavily and succumbing to the Georgia heat.

"I can't believe you're wearing that." I could barely hear Karen's voice over the cheering crowd. I threw an arm over my eyes to shield them from the sun as I looked up at my Korean friend with a lop-sided grin and pointed down at my lion onesie that was tied loosely around my waist.

"What? This?" I questioned loudly. Trying to make the tone of my voice sound innocent. She laughed and shook her head, glasses slipping off her nose slightly.

"Aren't you dying from the heat?" Karen asked, head cocked to the side; much like a confused puppy when it hears a noise it's unfamiliar with.

"Mum sent it too me last week, and I didn't have anything else that was yellow." I replied, making sure my voice was loud enough for her to hear. She nodded then inclined her head.

"Ah, okay. Well, I'm going to the canteen to get something to eat, want to come?"

"Yeah, I'm starving." I reached over to the chair next to me and grabbed my duffel bag before following her down the stairs. Feeling sweat trickle into my eyes, I wiped my face quickly with a fist full of my wife beater.

_God, it's so hot..._

"What are you going to get?" Karen asked me, looking up at the menu as we waited in line.

"Uh, a Dr Pepper and properly a burger, you?"

"Hmm, I guess I'll get the same..."

"What can I git fer yer gurls?" A middle-aged woman at the counter drawled, in a thick southern accent.

"A cheese burger and Dr pepper." I asked, as I unzipped my bag and pulled out my wallet.

"I'll get the same."

"Tat all?"

"Yes, thanks." Karen confirmed.

"Tat'll be ten dollars." I already had a ten-dollar bill and gave it to her.

"Wait-" Karen began but I quickly cut her off.

"It's fine, just give me the change later," I grabbed our bags of food while I pointed down the open hall way, "Want to sit over there? The stands at the stadium are too loud and I'm starting to get a headache." She hummed in reply and we walked in the direction I wanted until we found a nice, quiet spot in the shade. I let out a groan as I leaned against the wall; the bricks were cold and it felt really nice against my sweaty back. Sliding down, I felt my wife beater ridge up, lightly scraping my lower back as I sat down and gave Karen her drink and burger.

"Thanks." She popped open her Dr Pepper, I'd placed mine in my duffel bag for later, and took a large gulp of the soft drink as I unwrapped my burger and took a bite.

"Man, this taste's so good." I said around an uneaten bite of meat, cheese and bread.

"Ew! Close your mouth!" She giggled. Scrunching up the paper bag in a ball; she threw it at me. Laughing, I quickly leaned to the side. The paper ball missed and pounced off the wall behind me before dropping to the floor and rolling a few feet away.

"Hey!" The reaction was immediate; we both turned our heads to see Jessica speed walking towards us. A scowl etched on her features. "You two aren't allowed here."

_Of course she would find us..._

"Both of you's should be in your own colour team and supporting them; not sitting here like fat shits." My eyebrows rose to my hairline and I turned to Karen who was wearing a blue T-shirt and looked down to my yellow onesie.

"That's racist~" I sang as Karen let out a snort. Jessica didn't find it as amusing as we did and I could hear her teeth grinding against each other from where I was sitting. "Were just going to eat, then we'll go." I lied. Hoping that would be enough to make her leave. Her brown eyes narrowed before she smacked her bright, red lips together.

"I'll be back, and if I still see you two sitting here, I'm getting Mr Anderson." She snapped, sharply empathising the 'still.' I knew she was trying to scare us, it wasn't working on me but I could see fear flash in Karen's eyes.

"Jesus, we get it. Let us eat in peace." I spat, bristling slightly. Jessica looked between the two of us, wearing an arrogant smirk on her face that made me want to punch her. She bent down and picked up the ball of paper Karen had thrown.

"...And no littering on campus." She dropped it into my lap before turning her back on us and walking over to a group of seniors.

"If there's one person I'm not going to miss; it's Jessica Reid." I hissed. Finger nails digging into the bun of my burger. Karen's looked down at the floor, tracing the edge of her Dr Pepper can.

"I can't believe your going home soon," She murmured, looking up at me through her lashes. "Time's gone so quickly and England's so far away." I slowly put my burger down onto the wrapping paper, wiping the grease off my fingers; I leaned over and gave her a hug. My arms tightening around her, I lowered my head into the crook of her shoulder.

"We can still keep in touch," I said. Hoping to cheer her up I added, "And we don't graduate for another six months. Give's us plenty of time together before I leave for home." Over the past years that I had been boarding at the university did I start developing many mixed emotions to the word 'home.' While I agreed with Dorothy's saying, 'there's no place like home' there was always a small pang of pain in my heart whenever it was brought up. I patted her back and she squeezed me tightly in reply. We stayed like that for a while before I pulled back, inclining my head at one of the students staggering up the stairs.

"Wow, that's...interesting. But isn't it a little early for Halloween?" I mused, wanting to change the subject. She turned around and we both stared at the boy who was wearing clothes as rags and make-up that made him look like a walking corpse. He let out a moan, arms raised in front of him and wide, pale eyes focused intently on us. I felt my face twist into one of disgust. For a moment, I thought that he was just mucking around with us and that it was just a prank until the smell hit my senses. It was awful, it made my eyes water and I found myself covering my mouth to muffle my coughs.

"Ugh, that smell." Karen choked out, nose scrunching up in revulsion. He curled back the small flap of his lip; the rest of it looked as if it had been ripped off as the boy bared his teeth. Red liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth. That's when I knew something was very, very wrong. As if to confirm this, a scream, not of joy but full of fear echoed eerily in the background. This only seemed to excite him, and he started to quicken his pace. Raw fear gripped at my whole being. I staggered to my feet, Karen following suit as I saw more people dressed up like him coming towards us in the distance.

"What the fuck?" I breathed, stumbling over my own two feet. And then he lunged forward, grabbing Karen by the shoulders before they both fell in a heap on the floor. Shock and fear had me staring there with my lips parts in a small 'o' and the muscles around my throat tightened making it very hard to swallow or even breathe. I didn't know what I was doing just standing there, I guess I was just waiting for him to start laughing and shout out 'gotcha!'

Karen's terrified scream snapped me out of my trance and all I could suddenly think about was getting him off my friend. I raised my foot, adrenaline flooding through my system, as the heel of my converse connected with his skull. There was a sickening, cracking noise that had me wanting to vomit as I grabbed him by the shoulders with shaking hands and pushed him off her. From the corner of my eye, I could see that they were now at the foot of the stairs. Karen was lying on the ground, sobbing. My lungs constricted and felt nausea rise in my stomach again but forced it down. I hooked my arm under hers and hauled her onto her feet just as the boy on the ground began to crawl towards us, hissing and snarling like an animal; teeth gnashing together making a terrible 'snap,' 'snap' noise. I swallowed quickly as disbelief and fear consumed me.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my, fucking God." I chanted under my breath like a mantra as I grabbed my duffel bag and kept a tight grip on Karen's arm. I stumbled back, dragging my friend with me until my back hit the wall. The world around me was moving way too quickly. I started gasping for air that wouldn't come; I think I was having a panic attack. I then turned around the corner, seeing the disabled toilet as an escape from those...whatever they were.

I tore the door open, shoving Karen inside before turning around and silently, quickly closing the door behind me and locking it. Teeth grinding against each other, I tried to make sense of what was happening. It was silent. The only noise was from the soft thrumming of the air con. A quiet sob echoed softly around the small bathroom and I let out a whimper in reply, my heart beating painfully against my chest when I heard the moaning and shuffling of the people outside. I grimaced before I buried my hands into my face, not understanding any of this. What was I to too?

"Is this real? Is this really happening?" I asked myself quietly, voice slightly muffled. They say it's a sign of madness talking to yourself; then again, being attacked by people who looked like zombies can also be a sign of madness as well. I lowered my hands and shuffled over to Karen before crouching down so I was eye-level with her. She looked into my eyes, the blue stripes on her face were smeared from her tears and her glasses were slightly crocked. I reached up slowly, trying not to startle her, as I re-adjusted her glasses and looked for any visible injuries.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. A sheen of sweat was covering her face like a veil. Karen's mouth opened and closed but I could hear no sound except for her haggard breathing which blew dark strands of hair away from my face. She looked really sick.

"He...he was trying to..." She trailed off, voice trembling.

"What?" I murmured softly, already dreading the answer. She didn't budge nor say another word. I contemplated over her behaviour; she was going into shock."It's alright, its okay, were safe." I soothed. Hoping that would mollify her. That's when I heard the screaming, the gut wrenching screams of the people outside. Karen whimpered, covering her ears to try and block out the noise. My vision blurred slightly and something warm and wet began trickling down my cheek before sliding onto my lips. My tongue darted out, tasting the salty liquid.

_Just calm down...take deep breaths..._

I flinched when I heard banging on the door. Terrified it wouldn't hold, I quickly crawled over to the door and pressed my back firmly against it. Karen's eyes locked with mine before she, too, crawled over to me and pressed herself against the door. The handle rattled and I pushed against it to jam it. We stayed like that for a while, neither of us daring to make a sound and I began praying to the Lord that they would leave. I wasn't an overly religious person, and I felt shallow for only calling God in this situation, but I was too selfish. The need to live was too over powering.

_Please...please, God..._

"...Of unknown origin," The deep voice startled me. Heart skipping a beat, I turned to Karen who was looking down at her iPhone. Only then, did I put two and two together did I realise where the voice had come from. "Citizens are strongly advised to avoid all contact with anyone who has or may have been affected. Do not try to communicate or reason with anyone displaying strange behaviours; such individuals display elevated hostility and aggression. If attacked by affected individuals, immediately clean and disinfect any resulting bite or scratch wounds. Military units have initiated vaccinations, rescue and evacuation operations across the Southeast region. Details will be broad casted on this station as they develop. This is a recorded message and will play again in three minutes." Using the heel of my palm, I rubbed my aching temple before my hands went to grip at my hair in a sign of distress. I was breathing heavily now, and when I inhaled and exhaled I could hear myself wheezing.

_...attacked by affected people..._

"That guy...he tried to bite me." Karen's voice was barely a whisper. I choked on my own spit.

"What?" I croaked weakly, horrified how dry and weak I sounded.

"He was trying to bite me." She repeated, looking into my eyes. Oh, I had definitely heard her but it didn't seem to comprehend with my very confused brain.

_...clean and disinfect any resulting bite or scratch wounds..._

"And did he? Did he...bite you?" It sounded plain silly when I said that out loud. But neither of us were laughing. She shook her head, her short ponytail bouncing atop her head.

"...I'm okay."

"Karen-" I started to say, but she quickly cut me off.

"He didn't. I'm alright. I'm alright. I'm alright..." I think Karen was on the verge of having a mental breakdown so I didn't push her. Suddenly, the bathroom was spinning. The fan too loud and the lights were hurting my eyes. I closed them, waiting for the nauseating feeling to go away. I wasn't sure how long we sat like that, I could still hear noise outside but it sounded very distant and the feeling in my stomach was becoming a dull ache. It wasn't the same story for Karen who wobbled over to the toiled and began to dry heave. They started to become more violent; to the point that she was vomiting. After emptying her stomach, she turned to me and wiped her chin with the back of her hand before shuffling over to me and getting on her hands and knees.

"I need to lay down." She rasped. I didn't reply and she rested her head on my thigh.

"What time is it?" I whispered. She pulled out her phone and raised it close to her face.

"Shit."

"What?"

"Phone's out of battery," She choked out. "How am I going to ring mum..." Karen's voice started to break at the end and she couldn't finish her sentence.

"I haven't got any credit, but we can call the police." Chewing on my bottom lip, I leaned over Karen and grabbed my duffel bag. I lifted it up and placed it next to me as I unzipped the bag and pulled out my mobile phone. Punching in the emergency numbers, I pressed the phone to my ear and waited.

_Answer, please answer the phone..._

Now it was my time to swear. I grit my teeth in frustration and threw my mobile into my bag. I had a feeling no one would answer, but I still hoped that someone would pick up the phone.

"The line is busy." I groaned with clear annoyance in my voice.

"Thought so." Karen sighed. My throat was dry and I was having trouble swallowing. Remembering the can of Dr pepper in my bag, I rummaged through my things until my fingers grazed against something cold. Curling my fingers around the soft drink, I popped open the lid and took a large gulp to ease my parched throat. I could hear some shuffling from the other side of the door before the banging started once more. Karen's eye's snapped open and stared up at me with panic in her eyes.

"Hello? Is anybody in there?" The voice sounded muffled but I could tell it was male. Karen quickly sat up right while I heaved myself from the floor to unlock and open the door. The officer looked to be in his mid-thirty's, tall, lean and I could see blonde curls sticking out from beneath his hat.

He looked just as surprised to see us as we were, but I could see relief swirl in his bright, blue eyes. His lips parted, about to say something, before he let out an agonising wail. I watched, horrified, as pale hands wrapped tightly around his throat, a woman's distorted face nuzzling into his neck as a man began clawing at his chest and stomach. He convulsed. His limbs shaking as blood erupted from beneath his uniform.

His eyes met mine briefly before rolling into the back of his head and his entire body went limp. He collapsed onto the ground and lay there...as more of those things circled around him. My throat tightened making it impossible for me to scream as I covered my eyes. I think...I think Karen yelled something but it was so far away...I was suddenly jerked back into reality when she began dragging me into the safety of the toilet; screaming at me to snap out of it. With trembling hands, I quickly helped her close the door and locked it for the last time.


End file.
